PDC World Championship 2026: Paul Lim, 71, on being oldest winner, darts in Asia and facing Luke Humphries

Lim faced England’s Humphries in the first round of the 2021 World Championship, and on this occasion, Lim emerged victorious 3-2.

This situation is unlikely to happen again, given that Humphries, who is 41 years younger than Lim, was world number one for almost two years and has won a number of major titles, including the world title in January 2024.

“If anything, I’m grateful that Paul won this game because it changed me as a player and as a person,” Humphries said after defeating Ted Gündets in the first round.

“Three months later I had lost nearly four stone and I was in a grand final [at the 2021 UK Open]. It helped my career.”

Commenting on these comments, Lim said: “To come across a champion as humble as him – it was really a compliment for him to say that. “I don’t have anything bad to say about Luke.

“With every defeat or every win there is a spark somewhere; you have to find the spark that moves you in the right direction. I wouldn’t say that defeat made him a world champion, but maybe it created that spark within himself that made him look at something differently and that was good for him.”

“He’s definitely a different Luke Humphries. He was good then, he’s great now. It’s an honor to hear him call me a legend.”